


Lee Unwin

by saintsavage



Category: Kingsman: The Secret Service (2015)
Genre: Minor Character Death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-17
Updated: 2016-05-17
Packaged: 2018-06-09 02:24:48
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,625
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6885370
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/saintsavage/pseuds/saintsavage
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Lee wanted to be a Kingsman more than anything in the world.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Lee Unwin

**Author's Note:**

> So I was watching Kingsman (again) and this just kind of happened. Not meant to be linear.

_"No, Harry can't-"_  
_"Eggsy-"_  
_"I'm so sorry Shelly."_  
  
\-----  
  
He picked a terrier. A scruffy little thing, bug-eyed. His heart went out to the little bastard. The mercenary side of him, the side doing this for Shelly, for Eggsy, for himself, told him to go for the sleek little shepherd. There was no way they were just giving them dogs for the hell of it. There had to be a reason, a catch, and Lee, well, he figured that reason not not be very nice. But she got grabbed by a lanky, tall idiot named James and Lee stumbled for another choice before being left with two: a roan spaniel and the wiry bundle at the bottom left that he'd eyed first. _Well, shit._ Lee took the terrier.  
  
\-----  
  
He'd snuck a call to Shelly back home that morning, just after the debriefing. Merlin knew it - of course he knew it - and he didn't bother trying to hide it from James, the git, but anyone who mattered, namely that bastard Arthur, wouldn't ever know.  
  
"Hey Shelly-girl."  
  
"Lee! Oh I can't believe it, it's been ages!" He could hear it, her very heart beating in her voice, over-flowing with the sort of love that always caught him by surprise. It made him want to look behind himself, to wonder how he'd managed to make her care for him so deeply, to the very end of the road.  
  
It scared him, that love. The responsibility of it. It's why he was hunkered down low behind a filing cabinet, eyes darting to the door every now and again hoping like hell some random drone didn't catch him. Merlin might allow him this call by turning a blind eye but if someone else were involved? He'd have no choice but to punish him, maybe even kick him out. _I can't afford it, I've worked so hard already._  
  
"I know babe, but we're almost done! I miss you so much, how's my boy? Tell me he ain't growin' none!"  
  
"Like a weed! You should see him, he's such a dear. Talking off my ear about gymnastics. About gave me a heart attack trying to climb the top of the monkey bars and jump off 'em!"  
  
"That's my little lad. He'll be in the Olympics I wager, winnin' gold."  
  
"I hope not, it'll cost a fortune to kit him out proper."  
  
"Don't you worry, we'll do right by him. Just you wait, things is, they're gonna go well for us Shelly. I just know it. Maybe even better when I'm done. Might even get a promotion of some kind, yeah?"  
  
"I just want you home safe. We're just fine the way we are - me, you, and Eggsy. Don't want no more than that love."  
  
"I love you Shelly."  
  
"I love you too Lee. I miss you, can't wait to see you. When's this training over?"  
  
"Soon love, soon. Now I've got to go now, my time's up."  
  
"Goodbye, and you show 'em Lee. I'm so proud of you."  
  
"I will Shelly, I will. Goodbye."  
  
\-----  
  
After the dog test, it was just him and James. Lily couldn't shoot her beloved Tipsy and left cursing the whole lot of them as crazy puppy-shooting cowards. At his side Old Man River sneezed and for the thousandth time that morning Lee felt like a terrible person... more so with Lily outside screaming at him in particular. "I thought you were better than that Lee Unwin!" He might have told her otherwise but there just wasn't any time.  
  
Harry was there, proud as he ever was. Gloating, the prick, but too much of a gentleman to utter the fatal I told you so. During his 24 hours he begged to be able to see Shelly and his boy but his mentor was firm about that. Fitted him for a suit instead, told him stories, let him meet a greying Mr. Pickle who snored and farted on the couch like an old king. Lee couldn't help admiring the house he was in, imagining Shelly in something this posh, proud as all the nasty cunts who called her names in school.  
  
Once he was a knight they could have a better life, afford better for themselves, for Eggsy. Shelly wouldn't have to work at the shop no more. And Eggsy, Eggsy could do anything, anything he wanted! _Just a little bit longer, a little bit longer._  
  
\-----  
  
When James wasn't being an asshole, he was alright. They paired up after the first few weeks when they realized they worked better together, and it was together they took out all the rest with a flair. James was all flash and schoolboy charm while Lee, he was pure power. Whatever he didn't have he'd take with the force, doing whatever he had to for his family. The rest of them didn't stand a chance, though Lily came damn close, almost grabbed it right out from under the pair of them several times.  
  
Now it was down to five: Lee, James, Lily, bully-boy Kenneth, and George.  
  
James had gone to all the right schools, knew all the right people. He knew which fork to use, spoke fluent French and German, and had the devil's own charm. Right from the beginning Lee had sized him up as the one to beat but now they were... well, not enemies? Sort of. Lee needed help with all the posh bits and James needed schooling on the rougher bits of things, especially fighting.  
  
Now Lily, Lily was an unexpected rival. Lee was still amazed by how he'd missed her that first day. She was fierce, scrambling across the room and bashing the mirror in before the water even made it halfway. Merlin said it was a record. She loved her dog, drank like a Scot, and never judged Lee for his low upbringing; he'd never had any birds as mates, but Lily was one now. It made it hard, knowing they were all fighting so hard for one lone position. But when it came down to things Lee needed to be Lancelot. Lily just wanted it.  
  
Kenneth had started struggling, floundering, but he almost matched Lee when it came to strength and that was no small matter. So far it had kept him in the running. Personally Lee didn't think he had it in him to be a Kingsman but then again many didn't think Lee had it himself so who was he to judge?  
  
George was their weak link. He'd never been one of them, never wanted it. He was a legacy proposal but he wanted to be a lawyer or some rubbish. Lee thought he was mad.  
  
\-----  
  
They were going on a mission. A real, live mission. Just James and him left now. Along the way he'd learned to like him, even if he did have a silver spoon up his arse. It was too bad they couldn't both be Kingsman, but there was only one Lancelot, and Lee was getting that job. For him, for his little boy. _Sorry James, no hard feelings mate._  
  
He could feel it too, could feel how close he was. At his side Riv shivered, sensing his owner's excitement. He was going to be Lancelot. He was going to be somebody, finally, after years of snapping his teeth at a better life he'd made it, all thanks to Harry, a random bloke he'd helped, one he almost didn't help.  
  
Strange to think that his fortune was all thanks to one stupid fucker trying to rob a bank.  
  
At the time all Lee had been thinking was _'like hell is this asshole gonna rob the bank where my money is at, I need that money, Eggsy's sick and Shelly's going off about going on a holiday we can't even afford'_ and he'd just acted, knocked the gun out of the first one's hand, knocked him out clean, neat as you please. At the time Harry was there, gun to his head, playing dumb as it turned out, and he'd been impressed by Lee's quick thinking, calm head... and his ruthlessness, as it turned out.  
  
\-----  
  
Gary was beautiful, their boy. Ten toes and ten fingers with downy little wisps of hair on his head. He grew and grew until he was toddling along on chubby legs, spouting out words like 'why' and 'no' and 'please' like he understood them. Lee loved him from the second he'd started kicking in Shelly's belly.

Eggsy might have come early for them, at a bad time even, but Lee wouldn't trade him for the world. He was fiercely protective of the fact too, daring anyone to hurt his small family with cutting words or looks. So what if they were young? If Shelly had to drop out of school and hadn't managed to go back yet? It wasn't easy with a toddler on her knee wanting to fingerpaint and go to the park.  
  
She would though, once they was more settled.  
  
\-----  
  
He was nervous. It was stupid, silly even, but somehow it hadn't all felt real until that moment, sitting next to Harry in the helicopter on the way to clear out a terrorist cell.  
  
Harry was terrifying. In the context of a gritty interrogation, the sophistication shaved away, he was the most dangerous man Lee had ever seen. How had he not seen it?  
  
And then, then the pin.  
  
Harry running. _No_.  
  
Lee grabbed him, not thinking, throwing him back. The world needed Harry Hart.  
  
Eggsy- his little lad with his bright eyes, laughing along to My Fair Lady.  
  
The grenade. If it went off Harry would die, Merlin and James, they were going to die. They couldn't die, they were so important to Kingsman, to the world.  
  
_But I can._  
  
_I'm so sorry Shelly._


End file.
